Camera-Based Sport Fishery Surveys at Ethel, Floatingstone, Garner, and Hilda Lakes 2009-2010

Author(s)

Brendan Ganton and Shane Wood

Summary

To conserve and recover over-exploited sport fish populations, Alberta Sustainable Resource development has instituted provincial management and recovery plans. These management plans require ongoing assessment of sport fisheries, including angler effort and harvest, to allow managers to set regulations that maintain or improve populations. To generate angler effort and harvest data, managers have largely relied on access (on site) creel surveys. However, these surveys typically require significant capital and staffing, which due to finite program resources, can result in only higher priority lakes being assessed. Collecting angling effort data using camera-based creel techniques could potentially reduce costs associated with monitoring fisheries, allowing managers to regularly assess more lakes than previously possible. During the summers of 2009 and 2010 the Alberta Conservation Association investigated the ability of programmed trail cameras and camera-based creel techniques to estimate angling effort on four small lakes (<1000 ha) in northeastern Alberta.


The estimated number of anglers at Ethel Lake during the summer of 2009 was 2,298 (95% CI = 1,463–3,434). Anglers fished for a combined 6,789 h (95% CI = 4,488–9,797), resulting in an angling pressure of 13.9 h/ha (95% CI = 9.2–20.0). Based on angler interviews, the estimated total yield of sport fish (harvest + incidental mortality) was 163 walleye (95% CI = 108-236), 645 northern pike (95% CI = 280-773), and 505 yellow perch (95% CI = 334-729).


The estimated number of anglers at Floatingstone Lake during the summer of 2010 was 1,093 (95% CI = 574–1,816), fishing for 1,907 h (95% CI = 1,050–3,022), resulting in an angling pressure of 3.8 h/ha (95% CI = 2.1–6.1). Based on angler interviews, the total yield of northern pike (harvest + incidental mortality) was 63 fish (95% CI = 34-100). Harvest of walleye at Floatingstone Lake was prohibited, and anglers did not report harvesting yellow perch; however incidental mortality was 8 walleye (95% CI = 5-13) and 38 yellow perch (95% CI = 21-61).


The estimated number of anglers at Garner Lake during the summer of 2010 was 1,360 (95% CI = 960–1,859). Anglers fished for 4,064 h (95% CI = 3,043–5,231), resulting in an angling pressure of 5.2 h/ha (95% CI = 3.9–6.7). Based on angler interviews, the total yield of sport fish (harvest + incidental mortality) was 332 walleye (95% CI = 249-428), 454 northern pike (95% CI = 340-584), and 207 yellow perch (95% CI = 155-266).


The estimated number of anglers at Hilda Lake during the summer of 2009 was 2,039 (95% CI = 1,263–3,073). Anglers fished for a combined 4,195 h (95% CI = 2,675–6,111), resulting in an angling pressure of 11.8 h/ha (95% CI = 7.5–17.2). Based on angler interviews, the total yield of sport fish (harvest + incidental mortality) was 305 walleye (95% CI = 194-444) and 446 northern pike (95% CI = 284-649).

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